1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of food product packaging, and more particularly to a novel fragile food product package employable as a serving bowl and suitable for stacking in a protective load-carrying form.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been the conventional practice to serve food in a rigid, non-breakable bowl composed of metal or plastic so that it was convenient to hold the food during consumption of a meal. These bowls are not edible and are of heavy construction. Other bowls or shells are made from a semi-solid product such as grain, flour or corn materials and are generally formed with a plurality of irregular convolutions in a circular sidewall which is held together by a common base or bottom. These are edible and lightweight. The plurality of convolutions are not of equal diameter and the convolutions are not evenly spaced apart so that the integral strength of the sidewall is only as strong as the weakest convolution or separation between convolutions. Also, the structural integrity of the circular sidewall is adversely affected by providing the surfaces of the sidewall with irregularities so that load distribution is uneven. The same disadvantage is experienced by the common base or bottom which suffers from structural weakness due to surface irregularities and uneven attachment with the irregular convolutions of the sidewall.
Because of the fragile and non-reinforced sidewall construction, it is difficult to stack or nest a plurality of such edible shells together for shipment or transportation from place to place. Inasmuch as the convolutions of standard bowls or shells are uneven, a plurality of such bowls or shells cannot be placed in stacked alignment for space-saving purposes which would normally permit easy packaging. Also, inasmuch as the sidewall is weakened, breakage frequently occurs due to uneven distribution of impact or shock loads so that packaging and shipping in quantity presents a difficult problem. Some prior packaging techniques includes the placement of cushion or spacers between adjacent ones of the bowls or shells so that they do not touch or transfer loads directly. Other attempts may include the provision of elaborate holders, spaces and specially configured trays which are extremely expensive and require assembly procedures. Such procedures do not lend themselves to automatic counting, packaging or handlind of a plurality of shells.
When prior attempts have been made to ship or transport stacks of brittle food shells or bowls, impact loads are introduced into the stack from the lowermost bowl in the stack through any cardboard or paper packaging material. These loads are transferred through the entire stack resulting in bowl breakage and damage.
Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide a novel fragile bowl or shell package wherein a plurality of such shells may be readily packaged together in a stack for shipment and transportation purposes without breakage.